Sauber Group has confirmed that Audi has purchased a 25 per cent stake in the company ahead of its planned Formula One entry in 2026.
Contract:
- Initial 25% stake purchased this year, before further 25% stakes are purchased in 2024 and 2025
- Alfa Romeo, the current strategic partner of the Sauber Group, will drop out of Formula One at the end of this season
Context: Audi announced it was entering the top level of motorsport in August last year, before belatedly confirming it would be as a strategic partner of the Sauber Group in 2026, the company currently running the Alfa Romeo team.
Comment: A Sauber Group statement read: ‘The Sauber Group is pleased to announce that, as per the plans outlined in October last year, Audi acquired a minority stake in the Sauber Group in January 2023. This is an important milestone on the way to Audi’s entry in Formula One, scheduled for 2026, for which the Sauber Group will be the German brand’s strategic partner.’
Consequence: Audi will eventually become a majority owner of the Sauber Group, despite this initial purchase of a 25 per cent stake. Further stakes are set to be purchased in 2024 and 2025 to take Audi's total ownership to 75 per cent ahead of its first season in Formula One in 2026.